You're tapping on your screen, the sky turns dark, and that red "R" balloon drifts into view. It’s Arlo. Again. Honestly, of the three Team GO Rocket leaders, Arlo usually feels like the one who wants to play mind games with your shield management. By March 2025, the meta in Pokémon GO has shifted enough that your old 2023 counters might be feeling a little dusty. If you’re hunting that elusive Shiny Shadow or just trying to clear your "Seven-Colored Shadow" or seasonal research, you need to know exactly what Leader Arlo March 2025 is packing.
He’s tricky. He doesn't just hit hard; he uses Pokémon that bait shields or resist the usual "spammy" attackers.
The March 2025 Lineup: What Are You Actually Facing?
Niantic usually rotates these lineups every few months, and the March 2025 window falls right into that sweet spot of the spring "Rocket Takeover" events. Based on the current rotation patterns and the most recent data from the Silph Road archives and community sightings, Arlo is sticking to his guns with a mix of high-pressure leads and tanky finishers.
Phase One: The Lead
Arlo is currently leading with Shadow Anorith.
It’s an odd choice, right? It’s a Rock/Bug type. While it isn’t the most intimidating thing to look at, its fast attacks can chip away at your health faster than you’d expect if you’re not prepared. The goal here isn't just to win; it's to farm energy.
Phase Two: The Middle Ground
Once you swat the bug, Arlo pulls from a pool of three. This is where people usually lose their rhythm. He can throw out:
- Shadow Crobat: Poison/Flying. Fast, annoying, and resists Fighting/Grass.
- Shadow Steelix: The literal wall. Ground/Steel. This thing eats hits for breakfast.
- Shadow Cradily: Rock/Grass. It’s got a weird profile that messes with Water-type attackers.
Phase Three: The Closers
If you make it this far, you’re looking at his heavy hitters.
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- Shadow Scizor: The classic Arlo signature. Bug/Steel. Only one weakness: Fire.
- Shadow Mamoswine: Ice/Ground. It hits like a freight train but has plenty of exploitable weaknesses.
- Shadow Gallade: Psychic/Fighting. High damage, but glass-cannon energy.
Beating Shadow Anorith Without Wasting Shields
Let's talk strategy. You’ve gotta burn his shields. Arlo, like all leaders, will shield the first two charged attacks you throw. Don't waste a Brave Bird or a Hydro Pump on a shield. Use a "shield breaker."
Lucario is basically the king here. If you have a Lucario with Power-Up Punch, you can spam that move. It’s low energy, it burns Arlo’s shields, and it buffs Lucario’s attack stat every single time. By the time Anorith is down, your Lucario is hitting like a semi-truck. Melmetal with Rock Slide is another solid choice because it charges so incredibly fast.
You want to be efficient. Two-word goal: Energy management.
Handling the Mid-Game Chaos
If Arlo swaps in Steelix, your Lucario is still in a good spot, but you might want to bring in a Water or Ground type. Kyogre (even a non-Primal one) with Surf is great because Surf is relatively fast. Swampert is even better. Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon is arguably the best moveset in the history of the game for Rocket battles. It’s spammy. It’s relentless. It’s exactly what you need.
But what if he brings out Crobat?
Suddenly your Fighting types are useless. This is why you need a flexible secondary. A strong Electric type like Xurkitree or Zekrom works, but a Rock type like Rhyperior with Smack Down is often safer. Rock moves will delete Crobat from the map. Plus, Rhyperior is bulky enough to tank a few hits if you miss a timing.
Shadow Cradily is the "trap" Pokémon in this lineup. It looks like a Grass type, so you think "Fire!" but then it hits you with Rock-type moves. Honestly, sticking with a Steel type like Metagross is the play here. Meteor Mash handles Cradily effectively while resisting most of what Cradily throws back at you.
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The Scizor Problem
Leader Arlo March 2025 almost always feels synonymous with Scizor. It’s his mascot. If you see Scizor at the end, and you don’t have a Fire type, you’re probably going to have a bad time.
Scizor has a double weakness to Fire. That means Fire moves do 2.56x damage.
- Blaziken: Use Fire Spin and Blast Burn.
- Charizard: Dragon Claw (to bait if needed) and Blast Burn.
- Reshiram: Fusion Flare just deletes it.
Even a relatively low CP Fire Pokémon can take down a massive Shadow Scizor because the type advantage is so skewed. If you don't have a dedicated Fire type, even a Garchomp with Fire Blast (though not ideal) can work in a pinch, but you're playing with fire—literally.
Mamoswine and Gallade: The Alternative Endings
Mamoswine is a beast, but it’s weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Steel, and Fire. It’s basically a glass house. If you still have your Swampert or Lucario alive, Mamoswine isn't a threat. Just keep the pressure on.
Gallade is different. It’s Psychic/Fighting. It will shred your Fighting types. If you see Gallade, you want to bring in a Fairy type or a Ghost type. Togekiss is a fantastic "safe swap" because Charm does massive fast-attack damage, and you don't even really need to land a charged move to win.
The "Perfect" Generalist Team for March 2025
If you don't want to keep switching your team every time you lose, run this lineup. It covers about 90% of Arlo's possible permutations:
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- Lucario (Counter / Power-Up Punch & Aura Sphere): Your lead. Use it to burn shields and buff yourself.
- Ho-Oh or Entei (Incinerate / Sacred Fire): Your insurance policy against Scizor and Steelix.
- Swampert (Mud Shot / Hydro Cannon): The spam god. He cleans up Mamoswine and provides neutral coverage for almost everything else.
Why Does This Actually Matter?
You might think, "It’s just a Rocket leader, who cares?" But the Shadow Pokémon you get from Arlo in March 2025—specifically the potential for a high-IV Shadow Anorith or whatever the seasonal reward is—can be a niche powerhouse in the Great League or certain limited meta cups. Plus, the 1,000 Stardust and the chance at a 12km Strange Egg are the primary ways to grind for Salandit (and that elusive female Salandit for Salazzle).
Pro Tips for the Win
- The 2-Second Stun: Remember that every time you use a charged move or switch your Pokémon, the Rocket leader stops attacking for about two seconds. Use this! Don't just spam your moves immediately. Take those two seconds to sneak in two or three fast attacks to build energy. It's the difference between winning with half health and losing with a sliver of health left.
- Switching as a Shield: If your lead is about to die and has a charged move ready, don't use it. Switch to your second Pokémon. This "saves" that charged move for later in the match when the leader has no shields left.
- Don't ignore the CP: If you’re Level 40+, Arlo’s Pokémon are going to have massive CP, sometimes north of 10,000. You cannot out-muscle them with raw stats; you have to out-type them.
Actionable Steps to Take Right Now
First, check your current team. If you've been using the same three Pokémon since 2022, you’re likely making the fight harder than it needs to be. Go into your storage and tag a "Rocket Buster" team specifically for Arlo.
Second, make sure your lead Pokémon has a very fast-charging move. If your lead's first move takes 10 seconds to charge, you’ve already lost the shield game.
Lastly, if you lose, look at the silhouettes. The game shows you what he had. If you saw a giant bat, bring a rock. If you saw a metallic bug, bring fire. Arlo doesn't change his lineup if you rematch him immediately, so use that knowledge to pick the exact counters for his specific 2025 team.
Get out there, find those balloons, and take back that Shadow Pokémon. The grind for a 100% IV Shadow is long, but with the right counters, Arlo is just a speed bump on the way to your next big catch.